The weather Gods were smiling on Port Gawler on Saturday December 3rd for the Enchanted Crew’s eighth instalment. After a week of anxiously watching the forecast threatening rain and generally miserable weather, it was with a massive grin that I witnessed the sun breaking through the dark, grey sky shortly after lunchtime. After gathering up the troops and heading north, our convoy saw an amusing number of cars overshooting the mark and taking screeching u-tuns back to the correct turn-off – indicating that, although most of Adelaide is well aware of the location, signage would still have been welcome!

Security was much stricter than on past occasions, with no bottles of any kind permitted in an effort to eliminate the problem of alcohol on site. Yet entry seemed to be much faster than last year, with most people I spoke to having minimal waits and seeming happy with the friendliness and professionalism of gate staff. Directed to our parking spot by smiling men in fluoro vests, we set out to “relive the adventure”.

Enchanted is the biggest event on the Adelaide dance party scene – many folk who venture out only occasionally make this their annual outing. As a consequence, much effort goes into outrageous and fun outfits and this year was no exception! All manner of metallic, fluoro, fluffy, furry, spiky, rubbery, flashy and even glamorous outfits were to be found on the bodies wandering about the entrance and greeting friends at the various stages. Sylvester, Bugs Bunny, a gorilla and other mascots made it to the party, fitting in nicely amongst the ravers and giant inflatables. We decided after just a few minutes that this year was already vastly improved on previous events at the Port Gawler site and there seemed to be a better flow of human traffic around the stages, better toilet facilities and a fabulous vibe.

At an event like this, it’s next to impossible to see every performer and get a feel for the atmosphere they generate amongst the crowd – as well as catch up with the myriad of old and new friends that always seem to make an appearance at Enchanted. Each individual will have a unique and special experience of this magical event, whether they spent their entire evening talking codsh*t to strangers, in their car, or front and centre at the main stage.

The main stage, aka Tidy Arena, showed that the hard house scene is definitely a driving force in Australian dance music. The majority of the crowd spent their time here at the largest stage, beneath the biggest lighting rig and a sound system that inspired wonder. The girls dominated the stage with Amber D, Bexta and Tara Reynolds showing the lads how it’s done. Bexta’s obvious passion for Cosmic Gate saw her play three of their tracks in a row and there certainly weren’t any complaints from the crowd. Tara’s was definitely the set of the evening for me, with her banging set bringing back loads of memories of the best bits of my time spent in London. 

Lab 4 rocked, as expected. Ever consummate performers, their accomplishments on stage never fail to rev the crowd up and it still amazes me that their sets are totally live. These guys are practically honorary Adelaide residents, and they’re always up for a friendly chat with the crowd afterwards. I’m sure this accessibility makes their adoring fans love them even more!

The Savvy Tent was fabulous with its wooden dance-floor – no nasty marble-like rocks to unsteady the feet and was welcome relief for the calf muscles. It appears many people headed to this area for a bit of a chill out, with lovely house tunes and groovy beats the feature of this tent. Pretty much the only area that was completely undercover, this tent would’ve been one of the most popular spots should the weather have turned nasty. Many punters were disappointed after missing Martin Solveig who finished at 5pm, before flying off to another interstate engagement. There was more than enough groove lying ahead though, courtesy of Aussies like Brendon and Mr Timothy.

The Drum & Bass stage was always a seething mass of bodies throughout the evening and it’s proximity to the drinks area allowed plenty of opportunity to kick back and let the breakbeats wash over you. The popularity of this genre is undeniable in Adelaide and the Enchanted Crew did an outstanding job of selecting a line-up of crowd-pleasers who did just that.

Unfortunately the Industrial Beats stage was almost hidden – taking a walk with a friend at around 6am, he was amazed to discover the stage for the first time! I managed to catch a bit of Devious’ old school set, which went down a treat. I hung around for Misjah’s set, which I was hoping (rather naively I think!) would incorporate some old Dyewitness tracks. Obviously Misjah’s moved on since then (even if I haven’t) and his set was very techy – not my thing, but obviously much appreciated by those bouncing around on the small dance floor.

The food was a little disappointing with hot chips, hotdogs and ice-cream the only offerings… aside from the myriad of brightly coloured sugary treats of course. Maybe its close proximity to the wafting smell of hot fat left the Onion Stage so lonesome and forlorn! Despite the nasty bright fluorescent lights, there seemed to be one guy dancing on a chair every time I walked past, much to the dismay and concern of passing first aid staff. Big ups to the Enchanted crew for providing the first bottle of water free for those who registered on the website beforehand.

Sunrise crept up as it always does and the strange dawn light flooded the grounds as Scott Bond’s set began. Tired and sketchy, many weary bodies were just managing to sway to the beautiful, uplifting trance that Scott put on to greet the new day – the perfect wind down and transition back into reality. I’m sure that there was certainly more than enough love to go round as old friends hugged goodbye and new ones exchanged mobile numbers, promising to catch up soon.

Enchanted truly does bring the dance community of Adelaide (and beyond) together, and did well to survive and overcome the negative media circus of last year’s event. It was another beautiful event to be a part of and I’m glad that last year’s threats of it being ‘the last outdoor Enchanted’ were overturned. So… what’s everyone wearing to Enchanted 2006?